Actors Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey, now in their 70s, are seeking $500 million from Paramount, alleging a controversial nude scene made it to the final cut of the 1968 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” without their knowledge
A just-filed suit against a major studio in Los Angeles may be the first big test of revisiting Hollywood exploitation from years past in a new era that is providing intimacy coordinators on set to better choreograph actor safety and, generally, aims to protect especially young professionals or nonconsenting participants from the content of explicit scenes, heavy subject matter and more.
Both actors are now in their 70s and allege that Paramount Studios, part of Paramount Global PARA, +0.86%, engaged in fraud, sexual abuse and sexual harassment, according to a complaint filed late last year in state Superior Court in Los Angeles County, the Wall Street Journal reported. The complaint seeks $500 million in damages.
Hussey and Whiting, who have promoted the film at festivals in recent years, were previously barred from filing a lawsuit over the incident because the statute of limitations had expired. Then, in 2019, California passed a law that lifted the statute of limitations for childhood sex abuse for a three-year period, in part at public urging, to allow old alleged cases of abuse against the Catholic Church in the state to be revisited. That three-year window expired at the end of 2022.
Weinstein is now serving time, and while his decades-long, and largely ignored, assaults and career-hobbling blacklisting of some women may be seen as the tip of the iceberg, the #MeToo movement has also amplified the protective needs of actors on set. The professional guild known as SAG-AFTRA has published intimacy-coordinator standards and protocols.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Romeo and Juliet’ stars sue Paramount for child abuse over nude scene in 1968 filmNow in their 70s, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting filed a lawsuit accusing the studio of sexually exploiting them and distributing nude images of adolescent children.
Read more »
Paramount sued for $500 million over 1968 'Romeo & Juliet' nude sceneTwo stars of the 1968 film adaption of 'Romeo & Juliet' have sued Paramount Pictures for more than $500 million over a nude scene the actors shot when they were teenagers.
Read more »
‘Romeo and Juliet’ Stars Sue Paramount Over Teen Nude Scene in 1968 FilmThe two stars of the 1968 version of “Romeo and Juliet” have sued Paramount Pictures for more than $500 million, saying they were sexually exploited during a nude scene in the film when they were teenagers
Read more »
Stars of 1968 'Romeo and Juliet' sue Paramount over underage nude sceneTwo actors who were 15 and 16 when they filmed 'Romeo and Juliet' are suing Paramount over a scene that showed them partially nude.
Read more »
Stars of 1968 'Romeo and Juliet' sue Paramount over underage nude sceneTwo actors who were 15 and 16 when they filmed 'Romeo and Juliet' are suing Paramount over a scene that showed them partially nude.
Read more »
Stars of 1968 'Romeo and Juliet' sue Paramount over underage nude sceneTwo actors who were 15 and 16 when they filmed 'Romeo and Juliet' are suing Paramount over a scene that showed them partially nude.
Read more »